New here, heading to S Africa from Idaho

Just found this site a few minutes ago. I am going to Limpopo with Angus Brown Safaris May 31 2010 for plainsgame. Pretty excited about the trip although it will be a financial disaster! I will be going with two other guys that were with Angus last year. They are bowhunting and I will be hunting with a rifle. My biggest question to you that have been to Africa; is if it is truly challenging? I like earn any critter I harvest and would be sorely dissapointed if I do not get to hike the guide into the ground daily.

Dan

Angus Brown has a great name and reputation as an outfitter and PH in Southern Africa.

If you want to walk & stalk or spot and stalk you have to inform them as soon as you arrive on how you would like to hunt. They will then do their best to accommodate you with the style of hunting you want to do.

Remember there are lots of hunter that is content to shoot everything from the pick up. Not my style of hunting.
I love to have the client walk spot the animal stalk closer and take the shot, in other words really hunt for the animal.

Enjoy the hunt and I hope we get to see a lot of photos and a hunt report.

progun... Africa has something for everyone and I hope your first experience lives-up to your expectations. Welcome on-board and all the best on your next outing. Do let us know how things turned out and post us some photos. Cheers,

Hello progun, I think you will really enjoy this site. As far as the difficulty of hunting African animals it depends on species and area. One thing you will quickly notice in the hunting areas is that the animals do not stand around watching you like they do on the animal channel. African animals are not stupid, but they are plentiful in good areas. You also mentioned expense, well get ready because if you are like most of us you will be planning your next trip before you get home from this one. I am sure you will love Africa and you will have the time of your life. Jim

Welcome to AH progun. Make sure to communicate your priorities to your PH...

Progun..........welcome to AH. In fairness, you can't really compare African hunting to most hunting in North America. It is entirely different. Have you ever been on one of those elk hunts where you are gone for 10 days and never see a legal bull or packed in on a 14 day spring grizzly hunt and it rains, snows, mosquitoes and you don't even see a grizzly, never mind a shooter?

Outside of specialty hunts like bongo in the forests of West Africa or other such beasts, game is abundant in the better hunting areas and you will see animals every day. Keeps things fresh and you on your toes. The difference will be finding the animal you want and then getting a shot at it. All of the usual problems with hunting will crop up such as finding the animal in a bad location, problems with the wind, animals in herds and many pairs of eyes, bumping other species during a stalk that spook what you were after.

Some species are much more abundant than others and like all hunting things do not always work out. I went hunting in a very good area in Zimbabwe for plains game and sable was at the top of my 'have to get' list. I knew other guys that had been there and raved about them...........I never even saw one. You will see game and you will get a good bag, but it is still hunting and nothing is a sure thing.

You never know how the day is going to unfold. You may start out looking for a wildebeest or a reedbuck and bump into a herd of kudu bulls and instantly the plans change and the day takes a different path.

It is pretty hard to have a bad plains game hunt when you book with a reputable operator and, as an added bonus..........you just about always have good weather on a hunt during the regular safari season in the Southern and East African countries.

Hope you have a great trip.